I first came across this poem at sixth-form college. They gave us a photocopied booklet of some of Yeats’ most famous poems. This is one of the ones that stuck in my head particularly. I remember it came from relatively early in his career and reflects his love of Irish folklore. Yeats wanted to reinforce the national identity of the Irish people to make his country stronger. The opening four lines struck me and I remember reciting them years later. I also remembered the theme of the poem.
I remember pouring over it late at night in my teenage bedroom. I used to be afflicted by insomnia and would sometimes wander the suburban streets pacing out my adolescent angst. The poem has a kind of gentle magic and a musicality. The trout that morphs into a “glimmering girl” transfigures the “fire” in his head into something beautiful and magical. He then pursues his muse through the ancient countryside.
The poem has a resonance for me. I feel I might use the skill I’ve developed in creative writing to express myself. This would prevent my voice being smothered by people who think they can speak for me. Hopefully people might see the real me. Not someone personified as a delusional, thought-disordered schizophrenic.
Ben Preston 